NATIONAL CORNED BEEF HASH DAY – September 27, 2022, history significance why we celebrate
National Corned Beef Hash Day comes up every September 27, and we’re ecstatic to celebrate it the traditional way — with lots of tasty corned beef hash to share with our families and special friends! Due to limited fresh meat supply, corned beef hash became popular during World War II, as people invented creative recipes with vegetables, spices, and leftovers to ensure that food wasn’t wasted.
History of National Corned Beef Hash Day
The term “hash” is derived from the French word “hacher” which means “to chop”. Hash consists of chopped or diced meat, potatoes, and spices. corned beef gets its name from the treatment of meat with “corns” of salt, because the salt halts the growth of bacteria by taking out moisture. Corned beef hash became popular because during and immediately after WWII when fresh meat was rationed while corned meat was more available.
The Hormel Company, one of the biggest food processing companies in the US, claims it introduced corned beef hash and roast beef hash to the United States as early as 1950. However, “hash” has been part of the American diet since at least the 19th century, as is attested to by the availability of numerous recipes and the existence of many “hash houses” or cheap restaurants named after the dish.
Nowadays, corned beef hash is a comfort meal made for those who don’t feel like having the usual eggs and bacon. It’s a simple meal to make that won’t take too long and won’t hurt your budget.
However, not many restaurants these days have hash, and the existence of hash houses have kind of gone extinct due to the popularity of diners like Denny’s and IHOP. You’ll most likely find them on there depending on the region in the US you’re from, most likely the east coast.
You will also find that there are different takes on corned beef hash around the world as well. For example, in Slovenia, it is known as haše. It is a dish that is made out of spices, flour, garlic, onion, potato sauce, spaghetti sauce, veal meat, and minced pork.
In Denmark, it is known as bikesmad, which can be translated loosely to ‘tossed together food.’ The traditional leftover dish tends to be served with pickled red beet slices, worcestershire sauce, and a fried egg, as well as Bearnaise sauce or ketchup.
The meat is typically pork. Plus, the ingredients are coarsely diced, rather than the mixture being mashed together into some form of paste. You will find that there are plenty of other takes on this dish from around the world as well, so why not use National Corned Beef Hash Day to find out more about the different trends and tasks on this dish?
NATIONAL CORNED BEEF HASH DAY TIMELINE
17th Century
Diarist Relishes Rabbit Hash
English diarist Samuel Pepys pens a commending piece about a rabbit hash.
19th Century
Hash Arrives in the U.S.
Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants from northern Europe bring corned beef hash with them to the U.S.
20th Century
WWI Soldiers Eat Corned Beef Hash
Corned beef hash is served at garrisons and field kitchens to troops during World War I.
1950
Canned Corned Beef Hash
Hormel Foods introduces canned corned beef hash and roast beef hash.
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5 EXCITING FACTS ABOUT CORNED BEEF HASH
Lincoln enjoyed it
President Abraham Lincoln had corned beef and cabbage for dinner after his inauguration.
Loved by President Cleveland
President Grover Cleveland once exchanged his meal for corned beef and cabbage from the White House servants’ quarters.
Not a favorite Irish dinner
Corned beef is not considered an Irish dinner favorite, and its connection with St. Patrick’s Day is mainly from Irish-American culture.
Simply nutritious
Corned beef is high in protein and saturated fat, and it’s a great source of numerous vitamins and minerals.
Best consumed irregularly
You should eat corned beef and other processed red meat just once in a while because it may increase the risk of cancer and heart disease.
How to celebrate National Corned Beef Hash Day
So, the best way to celebrate this day is make your own corned beef hash! Start off by cooking two large potatoes and cut them into cubes. Then, in a large skillet, heat 2 tbs butter and 2 tbs olive oil. Add potatoes and cook until golden all over.
Then, chop 1 large onion and mince 2 garlic cloves, add to the skillet and saute for 5 minutes. Add 1 red and 1 green pepper (cubed) and cook 2 more minutes. Finally, add 12 ounce cubed corned beef and cook for 10 minutes, flipping hash over every 2 minutes to ensure it is crusty all over. Yum!
You are going to have no trouble finding different recipes for corned beef hash on the Internet. A lot of people have offered their take on this traditional dish. However, if you truly want to keep in with the spirit of what Corned Beef Hash day is all about, why not put together a meal using what you have in your cupboards?
After all, there are no rules regarding what you can and cannot include in your corned beef hash. When this dish was used during the war, people did not have the luxury of following set recipes nor did they have access to all of the ingredients that they wanted. They got creative and worked with what they had, so why not do this? Even if you are not happy with the end result, you will have a lot of fun in the process and you will gain a better understanding of how difficult it was!
